Sprinkler-head



0.1, LUBBOCK.

SPRINKLER HEAD. APPLICATION man APR. 8. 1919.

Patented Mar. 1, 1921.

A I v .l

INVENYOR O. JZuZ 'ock. 6 www@ @mi (i4 ATTORNEYS WITNESS e 5 Ffm UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SPRINKLER-HEAJ).

Application filed April 8, 1919.

To all 707mm 7'25 77mg/ 0077057177,

Be it known that I, OswALD J. LUBBOCK, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Alameda, county of Alameda and State of California, have invented a new and useful Sprinkler-Head, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to automatic sprinkler' heads for use in fire prevention systems.

An object of the invention is to provide a sprinkler head highly resistant to mechanical injury.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sprinkler head in which means are provided for forcibly unseating the valve cap when the strut members are released.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sprinkler head in whichvthe total collapse of the strut members occurs with great suddenness, so that all danger of cooling the solder by the water released from the head is removed.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of whichL with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of my invention which is illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to bev understood that I do not limit myself to the showing made by the said drawings and description, as I may adopt variations of the preferred form within the scope of'my invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to the drawings- Figure l is an elevation ofthe skrinkler head of my invention. The strut is shown turned slightly from its normal position so as to show the edges thereof. Fig. 2 is a horizontal4 sectional view taken in the plane 2 2 of Figui. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the strut shown in Fig. l.V Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view through the strut shown inFig. 1. Fig. 5 is avertical sectional view through a modified form of the strut shown in Fig. 4. Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are vertical sectional views through modified forms of the strut in my sprinkler head. In Figs. 4 to 8 inclusivelportions of the valve cap and end screw are shown.

My sprinkler head comprises a frame formed of the hollow body 2 and yoke 3. The body is provided with a nipple 4 wherewith the head is attached to the supply pipe. At the opposite end of the frame at the junc- Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 1, 1921.

Serial No. 288,595.

ture of the yoke arms, a deflector 6 of the usual type is secured by the screw 7, preferably integral With the deflector. The screw is threaded through the boss 8 joining the yoke arms, and terminates, in a blunt conical point 9, lying within the yoke in the longitudinal axis A-B, of the sprinkler x the lower end of the strut seats.

Means are 'provided for forcibly unseating thecap from the nozzle when the strut collapses. Although the pressure of water in thepipes is usually depended upon to throw olf the lcap when the strut collapses, it is not an infrequent occurrence for the cap to stick more or less, due either to corrosive effects which it seems impossible to wholly prevent, or to paint or other foreign matter which for one reason or another may be ap- )lied to or may accumulate about the cap.

nder these circumstances the water pressure below the cap may be insufficient to unseat it and unless additional means are provided the head is inoperative. In order to provide an independently acting force `tending to unseat the cap, I form the cap either integrally or as an added member with a resilient bar 14' projecting from either side thereof and resting upon the piers 16 formed at the base of each yoke arm. The normal shape of the bar is that of a flat arch, the ends engaging the piers while the cap is still a substantial distance,

say one-sixteenth of an inch, from the nozzle. In the assembling of the sprinkler head, the cap is firmly seated on the nozzle, flexing the bar. It must be noted that the bar is relatively thick and that the amount of its fleXure is well within its elastic limit so that its full resilience is not materially impaired by fatigue. Upon release of the strut the resilient flexed bar unseats the cap independently of the water pressure during its resumption of its normal form.

Means are interposed between the screw point 9 and the cap l1 for retaining the cap upon its seat. This means is arranged to collapse to release the cap, when the temperature in the vicinity of the head rises above a predetermined point, usually 160o Fahrenheit, and the suddenness of the collapse is agumented by the action of the resilient bar 14.

The means for holding the cap upon the nozzle seat comprises a strut formed of three associated pieces held in normal operative position by means of solder, which fusing at the predetermined temperature allows the pieces to separate and the strut to collapse thus permitting the capv to be unseated from the nozzle and releasing a stream of water. The strut as best shown in Fig. 3 comprises a post or main compression member 18, having the lower end formed as a blunt wedge to seat in the channel 18 in the cap, and the upper end beveled. Above the post 18 is an auxiliary post 19 having both the upper and lower ends beveled. The lower edge of the auxiliary post seats on the upper edge of the main post, and the upper edge of the auxiliary post seats in the angle of the bent lever 21, the upper short arm 21Et of which is provided with a conical depression adapt-A ed to form a seat for the point 9 of the screw 7. The long arm of the lever 21 lies fiat against the auxiliary post and against the larger portion-of the main post, being secured to these members by a thin film of solder. The parts are arranged with the bevels opening outwardly, and masses of solder 22 and 23 are disposed respectively between the contiguous surfaces of the posts, and the auxiliary post and short lever arm 21a.

Means are provided for additionally securing the strut parts together. The lower end of the lever arm 21 is provided with a tongue 25, extending upwardly at an acute angle through an aperture 26 in the lower part of the post 18. Flat upon the side of the post opposite the arm 21, a key 27 is soldered. The lower end of the key is beveled to correspond with the tongue 25 against which it seats, and for convenience in placing the key during assemblage of parts, the

upper end is provided with a short iiange 28 adapted to seat in a recess 29 formed in the auxiliary post 19.

The proportion of parts is such that the line in which the auxiliary post 19 bears against the short'arm 21L is a small amount to one side of the longitudinal axis A---B which passes through the point 9 and the center of the channel 18, so that the axis cut-s through both posts, and under stress, a strain is developed tending to swing the bent lever outwardly to the right of Fig. 4, thus separating the long arm of the lever from the contiguous faces of the parts and throwing the two posts out of alinement. Part of this strain is carried by the solder connecting the arm 21 to the posts, and part by the key 27 which engages the tongue. When the strut parts are assembled and placed in the yoke to seat the cap firmly on the nozzle the strut is subjected to stress by the water pressure, the resilient bar and to a small extent by the yoke. Upon the temperature in the vicinity rising above the fusing point of the solder, the strain exerted results in the collapse ofthe strut. The solder between posts and arm and between posts and key fuses, permitting the key to be displaced and the several parts of the strut to be snapped out of the yoke, and allowing the stream of water from the nozzle to impinge upon the deflector. The auxiliary post insures a more rapid and complete collapse of the strut, following the first breaking movement of 'the parts.

In Fig. 5 a strut structure similar to thatY just described is shown except that the posts 18 and 19 are made in one piece.

In Fig. 6 a strut structure similar to that shown in Fig. 4 is shown, except that the key is omitted and the arm 21 is without a tongue, lying fiat against the imperforate main post 18.

In Fig. 7 a strut structure similar to that just described is shown except that the adjoining beveled edges of the posts are turned inwardly instead of outwardly. When this form of strut collapses the two posts buckle away from the long arm of the lever resulting in an extremely sudden collapse.

In Fig. 8 a modified form of strut is shown in which a third post 31 is interposed between the other two. Preferably this intermediate post is provided with a recess adapted to engage .an angular ridge 32' formed in the lever 21. Otherwise the lever and auxiliary post 19 are like those shown in Fig. 7. The ridge 32 provides a stop and additional solderedY surface, rendering the alined posts less sensitive to compression under normal temperatures but not interfering with the' complete collapse of the parts when the solder fuses. f

In all of the above described struts, the beveled edges do not terminate in sharp edges, but edges slightly blunted.

I claim: i

1. In an automatic'sprinkler head, a valve cap, a main post engaging said cap, a lever contiguous with said post and supported at one of its ends on the axial line of the head, an auxiliary post alined with said main post and bearing on said lever to one side of said axial line, the contiguous edges of said main and auxiliary posts being beveled to facilitate collapse of said posts, and a fusible solder for cohesively uniting said lever and osts. p Y

2. n an automatic sprinkler head, a valve cap, a main post engagingV said cap at one end and having its opposite end beveled, a

lever contiguous with said post and supported at one of its ends on the axial line of the head, an auxiliary post beveled at each end alined with said main post and bearing on said lever to one side of said axial line and a fusible solder for cohesively uniting said lever and posts.

3. In an automatic sprinkler head, a valve cap, a main post engaging said cap, a lever contiguous with one side of said post and supported at one of its ends on the axial line of the head, an auxiliary post alined with said main post and bearing on said lever to one side of said axial line, the contiguous edges of said main and auxiliary posts being beveled in opposite directions to facilitate collapse of said posts, a key contiguous with the opposite side of said post and releasably engaging said lever, and a fusible solder for uniting said posts, lever and key.

4. In an automatic sprinkler head, a valve cap, a main post engaging said cap, a lever contiguous with one side of said post and supported at one of its ends on the axial line of the head, a tongue on said lever forming an acute angle therewith and projecting through said post, an auxiliary post alined with said main post and bearing on said lever to one side of said axial line, a key on the posts having a beveled edge in engagement with said tongue for preventing the separation of said lever from said posts and a fusible solder for uniting the posts, key and lever.

5. An automatic sprinkler head comprising a hollow body forming a nozzle, a yoke on said body, a pier formed on said yoke on each side of said nozzle, a free spring bar having diametrically opposite ends to bear on said piers, and medially perforated, a cap arranged in the perforation to seat on the nozzle and heat controlled means interposed between the cap and the yoke operative to press the cap to its seat and overcome the lifting effect of the spring bar on the cap.

6. An automatic sprinkler head comprising a hollow body forming a nozzle, a yoke on said body, a pier formed on said yoke on each side of said nozzle, a cap on said nozzle, temperature controlled means interposed between the cap and said yoke for holding the cap on its seat, and resilient means arched across the piers and free thereof, and attached to the cap to be dislodged therewith.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at San Francisco, California.

`OSWALD J. LUBBOCK. 

